World Anti-Doping Agency says it will study whether sports bodies can legally use the samples

MADRID—A Spanish court ruled Tuesday that more than 200 bags of blood drawn from high-level athletes and later seized in a Spanish doping case should be turned over to international sports authorities for investigation, reversing a judge’s order to destroy them on grounds of privacy protection.

The World Anti-Doping Agency welcomed the ruling and said it would study whether it and other sports bodies could legally use the blood samples to identify and discipline athletes who have taken performance-enhancing drugs.